The Hidden Girl
by yuki973
Summary: What if Iroh had a daughter who he believed was dead? What will happen when Iroh and Zuko meet her?
1. Chapter 1

In the garden of the Fire Nation palace, an 11 year old boy was playing with his younger sister. She was 3 years old and gave out a happy squeal as her brother carried her around the fountain. The boy's name was Lu Ten and the little girl's name was Keiko.

Soon they were joined by a 5 year old boy and 3 girls, all 4 years old. Zuko had brought his sister, Azula, and her friends Mai and Ty Lee to play. They had spotted Lu Ten running in the garden with little Keiko chasing. A game of tag began with all the girls plus Zuko chasing Lu Ten. The happy sounds of laughter floated on the breeze.

Keiko loved her brother a lot. Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee were really friendly and she liked them. But Azula. Although they were not the same age, she was always trying to get her into trouble or beat her in everything. She couldn't think of any reason that someone would hate her that much.

'Keiko! Lu Ten!' Keiko turned to see her father, Iroh, waving at her. She waved back. As she waved, she didn't notice Azula run into her. She fell onto her knees, dirtying her clothes. 'Ow', she said softly.

Lu Ten ran up to her and asked if she was alright. 'I'm fine. It just hurts a little bit.' Lu Ten pulled the cloth up to her knees, checking them. The skin was slightly scraped and had a red tinge to it but there was no blood. 'You're going to be okay, a couple of bruises that will heal soon.'

He helped her up and they began to walk slowly towards their father. 'Are you okay, Keiko?' She only smiled at her father and he smiled back. 'What's going on, Father?', Lu Ten asked. Iroh straightened up and replied, 'The Fire Lord wishes to see us. Quickly change into your best clothes.' Lu Ten lifted his little sister onto his back and soon they had changed into their clean clothes. Soon they were walking towards the Fire Lord.

Keiko and Lu Ten sat beside their father in front of Fire Lord Azulon. Keiko had always feared the Fire Lord. He always seemed to favour her brother and cousins. She was normally ignored or was mistreated by her grandfather. But she knew that Lu Ten would keep her safe.

They discussed about the upcoming war plans. Iroh would become a General and lead the capture of Ba Sing Se. Lu Ten would join him when he turned 12, while Keiko would remain in the Fire Nation Palace and join Azula at the Royal Fire Academy. Azulon praised Lu Ten highly for his Firebending skills and said that he was one of the strongest Firebender children. He would assist his father in the capture of Ba Sing Se.

Keiko had listened to the conversation quietly and sensed that it was coming to an end. She let out a small sigh as she had survived another encounter with her grandfather.

'Iroh, may I talk to your daughter alone?' Keiko's eyes widened when she heard this. But she knew her father had no right to disobey and watched frightened as Lu Ten and Iroh left the room. The great wooden doors shut with a click.

'Keiko.' Her head turned back to face Azulon. 'Did you know that the entire Royal Family is right-handed?' Keiko slowly shook her head. 'To be left-handed in the Royal Family symbolises bad luck to the Fire Nation. All previous left-handed children were killed.' Keiko stared in shock and fear. She was the only left-handed child within the family.

Azulon tried to take advantage of her being in shock and he began throwing fireballs at Keiko. She saw the fireball and quickly dodged it. The Fire Lord continued to throw fireballs at her and she kept dodging. Keiko often helped Lu Ten with his aim and he would chuck small, fireballs at her. She was used to dodging but she was getting tired. She was only three and the fireballs that her grandfather threw were large. Her knees were hurting from the bruises.

She saw another fireball come closer towards her and she tried to dodge it once more. But she tripped and the fire singed her right sleeve. Keiko landed heavily on her side, her left arm feeling numb.

Keiko quickly picked herself up and began running towards the door. But she didn't hear Azulon unsheathe his sword over her running footsteps. Keiko had finally reached the door and looked back once more. Her eyes showed fear as her grandfather threw a flaming sword heading towards her. She tried to dodge but it sliced over her left eye and part of her cheek.

The wound began to bleed heavily and was stinging from the contact with the hot metal. Keiko grabbed the handle of the heavy door and pulled, before running out.

Azulon stood by his throne, angered for not killing his granddaughter. But he smiled. By the door was a small puddle if blood. There was no way that she could survive with a huge loss of blood.


	2. Chapter 2

Keiko ran down the hallway, her sleeve covering her injured face. Her tears blurred her vision, making it hard to see and she ran into her aunt, Lady Ursa.

Ursa had always loved Keiko. She was what she hoped Azula would be – sweet, kind and friendly. Not only that, but Keiko resembled her younger sister.

She knelt down to Keiko's height and looked worried at the amount of blood over her robes. 'Are you alright, Keiko? Will you let me see your face?' Slowly, Keiko removed her hand from her injured face. Ursa's eyes widened at the long cut along her left eye and cheek. 'Who did this, Keiko?' asked her aunt as she pulled out a white handkerchief and tried to stop the bleeding.

Keiko hesitantly answered, 'Grandfather. I think he wants to kill me.' Her tears mixed with the blood, staining the handkerchief. Ursa looked down at her niece in concern. She knew about the left-handed rule but she did not think this would happen to her so early. Especially since Keiko showed potential as a Firebender.

Ursa looked around to make sure no one was looking. She then led Keiko to her room and let her in. The handkerchief was no longer white but a deep red. Ursa removed the handkerchief and took a look at the wound. The hot metal had severely damaged the skin around the wound and it would never fully heal. Her eye was also damaged. She may never see from her left eye ever again. This day has literally scarred her for life.

Keiko's eye was soon bandaged but the blood kept coming though. Ursa found one of Azula's old outfit and changed her out of her bloody one. 'I'm scared Aunt Ursa. I'm really scared. And my eye. It hurts.' Ursa took her niece into her arms as she cried. Patting her head slowly, she knew that Keiko would never live a normal life as a princess. Or will she be able to live with her father and brother. It would never happen.

Soon, Keiko fell asleep in the warmth of Ursa's embrace. She placed the sleeping girl on her bed and wiped away her tears of pain and confusion. She wanted to watch her sleep but there were preparations to be done.

In her room, Ursa had discovered an old secret room. It was used by the previous Fire Lord and his family, if they ever should get in trouble. But now it was long forgotten. Grabbing a thick futon, she opened the door and placed it on the floor. She lifted the small girl and placed her underneath the covers.

Ursa also brought a small table and a chair for Keiko to study on. She had also taken some of her outfits from her old room and placed them in the room. On the wall, she hung a picture of her family.

After making sure that Keiko would be comfortable, she closed the door and left to join the rest of the family. She felt comfortable smuggling Keiko into her care because Ozai had left for a mission. This would leave her time to be with Keiko, the daughter she wished she had.

But out in the garden, Lu Ten was crying by saddened Iroh. It seemed that the news had reached their ears. Ursa sat by them and asked what was wrong. 'Father killed Keiko because of that law. He killed little Keiko because she was left-handed. How could he be able to bring himself to kill a 3 year old girl? But he said he was sorry.' Tears formed around his eyes. 'First Kuma. Now Keiko.' The tears rolled down his face and the sadness was evident. Ursa felt tears prick her own eyes. She remembered Kuma, her sister and Iroh's wife. She died after giving birth to Keiko.

She excused herself and went back to her chambers. She sat by Keiko and stroked her hair, as a mother would watch over their child.

_I will protect Keiko._


	3. Chapter 3

6 years had passed and the luxuries of being in the Fire Nation Palace were gone. In traveller's clothes, Lady Ursa and Keiko had been banished from the Fire Nation. They were now residing in a nearby Earth Kingdom village. Ursa had tied her long hair with a spare piece of cloth and readied her stance. Keiko had also tied her hair, a long curtain of hair covering up her scarred, blind eye.

Soon the sounds of metal against metal were heard as Ursa lunged at Keiko with her sword. Keiko quickly blocked it with her sword, before pushing it away with her weight. She quickly advanced, taking advantage of her stumbling aunt. But Ursa was not easily defeated. She readied her step and swept outwards with her sword. Keiko retreated, her hand holding her sword firmly. She watched her aunt's movements as she tried to find an opening.

After blocking some more attacks by Ursa, Keiko finally found the perfect opening. She quickly ran up, her sword parallel with her body and she found her sword lying by her aunt's neck. At the same time, Ursa's sword lay by Keiko's neck.

The stared at each other, finding a way to defeat the other. Soon Ursa smiled and lowered her sword. Keiko mimicked her. She bowed and said, 'Thank you for the lesson, sensei.' Ursa bowed in response and replied, 'Thank you for the excellent fight.' She stood back up and looked at her young niece in the eye and smiled. 'You have excelled well with your sword mastery. Well done.' Keiko looked up happily and reached into her aunt's embrace.

As Ursa held Keiko tight, she glanced up into the clear blue sky. Her worried eyes watched the clouds as last week's events passed through her mind once again. Her heart ached. She had been banished because of her act of treachery. She had aided Ozai in the killing of Azulon, the previous Fire Lord. All to protect Zuko. Ozai had made a deal with her – if she helped make him Fire Lord and leave the Fire Nation, he would spare Zuko's life.

She looked down at Keiko. A few tears pricked her eyes as she felt a heavy weight on her heart. Keiko had suffered a hard life. She had told Keiko everything but there was one thing that she could not bring herself to tell her: the death of Lu Ten.

The faint memories of Lu Ten and Keiko floated past. They had been close, even though there was a huge age difference. He had never blamed Keiko for their mother's death and loved Keiko more than any other sibling would have.

Ursa snapped out of her daydream when she heard the sounds of footsteps. They were approaching quickly. 'Keiko. Hide in the bushes and don't make a sound.' Keiko looked up at her, worried but obediently followed her instructions. Just as Keiko hid behind a thick bush, Fire Nation soldiers surrounded Ursa.

One soldier grabbed her shoulders, keeping her still. Another soldier wrapped her hands with rope. 'Lady Ursa, we are arresting you under the order of Fire Lord Ozai.' Ursa struggled against the bonds around her hands and the firm grip on her shoulders. 'For what crime?' she demanded. She was ignored as the soldiers organise the next destination.

Ozai had heard that Ursa had been wandering around the Earth Kingdom area. He feared that she would be organising a rebellion against the Fire Nation. It would disrupt his plans. So he ordered Ursa to be taken away to a high security cell in a secret location.

Ursa turned to the bush that Keiko was hiding behind. Keiko looked sadly at her pleading eyes. She nodded and saw Ursa relax, as the Fire Nation soldiers began taking her away.

When they were gone, she was still there. Tears ran from her eyes. The person she saw as her mother was being taken away from her. Using her sleeve, she wiped away the tears but they wouldn't stop. She slowly got up and began walking back to their house in the village. Keiko gathered her possessions slowly, including her picture of her family and packed it in her bag. The sword that she had from training lay in her hands. Her hand brushed delicately across the blade.

Her deer-horse called her out and she began to saddle him. Keiko climbed up and looked back at the small house and then looked back at the road.

She was leaving her home. _Again._


	4. Chapter 4

Keiko had travelled to many places over the years and had taken up many different identities. Her abilities in Firebending and her sword have improved since the day that her aunt was taken away. She was now thirteen, living in a small Earth village that was still safe from the Fire Nation. She had taken up the fake name of Yumi. Although she had met many new people on the way, she never fully trusted anyone.

Yumi had lived in the village for more 2 years and enjoyed living in a small town. She lived next door to Ganju and his family. Sela had become close to her and treated her as family. Her sons, Sensu and Lee felt like brothers. Especially Sensu. He reminded her of Lu Ten.

Sensu was 2 years older than her and Lee was 4 years younger. They would go out and play through the fields of wild grass and climb up the trees. Although they were all close, Yumi noticed Sensu was getting closer to her.

The whole town knew who she was and they were all friendly towards her. Gow, a soldier who was 'supposedly' helping to protect the village had been bullying both villagers and visitors alike. She had become his girlfriend but not because she loved him. Not at all. She did it to protect all the people who fell victim to Gow's bullying ways.

Gow would never get Yumi's love. It had already been taken by Sensu. They were often together, in the small forest nearby. Sensu loved Yumi with all his heart and Yumi returned hers. They were close but no one in the town would ever know about their love.

Just a few weeks ago, Sensu had been taken away for war. Yumi held Sela tight as she cried. She felt her own tears running down her face and part of her heart ache. Lee had hidden himself in his room, not letting anyone in and stayed like that for 2 days. Gansu had kept a straight face but Yumi could tell that inside, he was crying.

All she could do now was to protect the village.

Everyone in the village enjoyed Yumi's company, whether it was playing with the young children or having her famous jasmine tea with the elderly. The scar was hard not to notice when being around lots of people so she created a story to hide the truth.

_When she was younger her father was sharpening his knives and she was watching. Her mother called for his father and he turned around, knife still in hand. Unfortunately, his hands had always been clumsy and weak. He had forgotten to put the knife down and the knife went flying. He had accidently wounded his daughter and gave her this scar._

She had always assured the other villagers that he had felt very guilty for what he had done to her. And till the very day that they died by the hands of Fire Nation warriors, he had always looked sadden when he saw her because the damage that he did would never go away.

One day, she had been following Gow on his usual 'check the perimeter' walk. She thought that today would be an eventful day but she was proven wrong when she heard Gow yelling at yet another bunch of travellers. Yumi rushed over to see who Gow was know harassing and she saw a group of three – a boy with a ponytail, a girl with a long braid and a beautiful blue necklace and another boy with an arrow-shaped tattoo on his bald head. Keiko interrupted Gow by quickly hugging the girl and said, 'Hi Amaya! Long time no see! How have you been?' Secretly, Yumi whispered in her ear and said, 'Just go with it'. "Amaya" said that she was fine and happy to see her. The two boys looked at their companion as if she were crazy.

Yumi broke the hug and looked at Gow and said sweetly, 'What are you doing here, Gow?' He replied, 'These bandits were going to invade the village.' Yumi said to him excitedly, 'But these people are my friends. This is Amaya, Haku and ... um ... Daisuke!' She then held the girl's hand and started to drag "Amaya" with her, saying 'They have come to visit me!' With a small kiss on his cheek and a small giggle, Yumi led the group walked by a very stunned group of soldiers.

As they walked back towards Yumi's home, she apologized to the girl and the group for the surprised hug and rough welcome. 'By the way, I'm Yumi. Who are you guys?' They explained that they were Aang, Katara and Sokka and they were travelling to the North Pole. They had decided to rest in the forest when they got attacked by the soldiers. 'Thanks for helping us, Yumi,' said Katara. 'You're welcome! Hey, do you guys want to have dinner and sleep here for the night? I have some floor space!' she exclaimed with a smile. They all accepted the offer and had a dinner of rice balls and jasmine tea.

They chatted and she learned that Aang was the avatar and they were heading to North Pole because Aang needed to learn Waterbending. They learnt the 'story' of her eye and how she really hated Gow. She told them how the Fire Nation broke up her family and how she hates the Fire Lord. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the truth either. It was late by the time they stopped talking and they went to bed, knowing they had made a friend or friends.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry its been so long...I had to stop distracting myself to study for some major exams. I'll try to update more often. And thank you to all the people reading and reviewing my story.**

**~yuki973**

* * *

The next day, the group felt refreshed and ready to set off again. They invited Yumi to join them. She declined, saying that she wanted to help the poor villagers for a bit longer. As she watched them fly off on Appa's back, she couldn't help but feel a little bit sad. She believed in her heart that she wasn't truly their friend. The truth was always hidden, locked away in a part of her heart. Yumi knew that these relationships will never last. And they shouldn't.

She was a Firebender, a threat to all the people living here. By staying here, that means she had successfully deceived everyone. She had lied to everyone for her personal gain. Yumi returned home and sat down in her chair. The past was there and wouldn't go away. The memories floated in her mind. She remembered Kaito, the son of a noble who was commanding under her grandfather. Since their age was similar, they were often playing together in the backyard. The sounds of happy laughter filled her mind.

It was hard to forget the past.

The next 2 months were calm: following Gow on his normal routes, practising her Firebending and swordsmanship and helping Sela with keeping a watch on Lee.

Lee had managed to run off again. She looked around and finally found him inside the village by a small stall. Her glance moved from Lee to Gow, who was sitting and playing a small game with dice.

A traveller with his hat down low walked through the town. Gow turns slightly to check out the traveller before moving back to the game. Lee, hiding behind a bag of animal feed, throws an egg at Gow. Before Gow could react, Lee runs off to hide.

Gow was really angry. To have an egg thrown at him was like attacking his pride. But since Lee was gone and Yumi was still watching from behind a nearby building, the only other person there was the traveller. He started to interrogate the traveller, before taking his bags of animal feed. Yumi quickly walks up to Gow and sweetly says 'If you let the traveller have his feed, he would leave sooner.' Gow grunted and passed the feed back to Yumi.

Yumi looked up at the stranger. The stranger's face was scarred on one side. Yet, Yumi thought the face was familiar, though she believed that she hadn't met him before. 'I'm sorry about him', she says while passing him back his feed. She walks towards his ostrich-horse and said, 'Lee, you should apologize to him.' Lee comes out from hiding behind the ostrich-horse. 'I was going to', says Lee. She looked at him, with an eyebrow raised. 'Well, I have a couple of other things to do. I'm coming round tonight.' She smiled before turning around. 'See you there. And stay out of trouble.'

She walked off, leaving the stranger to Lee. Yumi headed out to the fields. An afternoon breeze was blowing, making the grass sway. She pulled herself up onto a tree branch and stared out into the horizon.

The face of the stranger bothered her. It was so familiar that she couldn't think of who he was. Her eyes slowly closed. She concentrated on who the stranger may be. Maybe if she removed the scar of the burn. Her eyes suddenly opened as she realised who the person was.

She quickly jumped to the ground from the branch and ran all the way back. It was nearly time for dinner. And she was on Dinner duty today.

Yumi made it to the house on time. Along with Sela, she helped to prepare the meal. The Earth Kingdom village was poor and the meals they could have were always simple. Yumi was in charge of making the rice and the tea. Picking out the Jasmine leaves, she placed them into the kettle. Using flints, she created a fire and started boiling the tea.

After a short while, dinner was prepared. Gansu, Lee and the traveller walked into the house as the food was being placed onto the table. The tea brought smiles on the faces of the drinkers. Especially the stranger, who seemed surprised. The mood at the table began cheery, but soon became sad and stressful. The stranger had news of the war. It seemed that the Fire Nation has been spreading across Earth Kingdom territory and was edging closer to the village. Yumi felt saddened. Although she was once part of the Royal Family, she could do nothing to help the people suffering under her Uncle's plans. She looked across the table and at the stranger. It seemed that her cousin has also been pained from her Uncle's reign.

She would speak with him, later tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

After leaving the house, she watched the stranger being led to the barn next door to the house. It would be difficult to speak with him now, as she noticed Lee climbing out his window and running towards the barn. She smiled. He had always been fascinated by weapons.

She watched with a smile from a branch in a nearby tree. Zuko had come out of the barn, watching and teaching Lee how to use the twin swords. Lee looked really happy. Maybe it was because in that sense, Zuko was kinda like Senju.

Zuko teaching Lee right now tugged at the memories that she tried to hide away. Although they were cousins, Zuko also watched out for her. Maybe because she was the youngest or it was a way to get closer to Lu Ten, she would never know. But when he smiled, it was just like when he helped her to hold a calligraphy brush. When she finally managed to write her name for the first time, Zuko was there with Lu Ten. They both were smiling at her achievement.

Yumi touched her face. She sighed as the tears slowly began to fall. She knew that she was alone. And nobody likes to be alone. There was only one person who could bring that barrier down was Senju , and she didn't know whether she would see him again.

The wind blew, moving some of the long strands of her hair onto her face. Using her sleeve, she wiped away the tears and moved her hair out of her face. Lee was making his way back to his room and Zuko had disappeared into the barn altogether.

She dropped to the ground and walked through the field towards the barn. It had been 10 years since she had met with her cousin. It would be nice to talk once again. But she was worried. Time changes a person, as her own experiences changed her to the person she was now.

Yumi carefully slid the barn door open and walked in. The stranger had just sat down on the pile of hay. 'Prince Zuko.' Zuko seemed alarmed. He replied cautiously, 'How do you know my name?' Yumi's eyes widened slightly before relaxing. _I must have changed a lot since then. Maybe keeping my identity secret will be alright._ She then replied, 'I was from the Fire Nation. I was the daughter of a servant. I ran away when my mother was killed and my father was signed up for the war.' She sighed. Again, it wasn't quite the truth but it wasn't a total lie. 'Oh. I'm sorry about your parents.' He looked down. Zuko had never seen the full extent of damage the war had caused people. Zuko looked back at Yumi. 'Why are you here in the Earth Kingdom?'

'This is one of the only places that haven't been taken over by the Fire Nation.' Zuko could hear the sadness in her voice. 'And why are you here, Prince Zuko? I heard you were travelling with your uncle.' she asked. Zuko tensed up and said in a cold voice, 'My uncle was only slowing me down and was keeping me away from what I need.' After that he lay back down and told her to leave. He closed his eyes and Yumi left quietly.

Next Day~~

'Gow, leave him alone! Why are you doing this? He's only a kid.' asked Yumi before being stuck down by a hand. She didn't notice it until his hand hit her left cheek. Yumi fell down to the ground, her check stinging. _What can I do? The village doesn't know I can fight. If I fight, my identity will be revealed for sure._ Lee was tied to a post in the middle of the square. As Yumi was wondering what to do, a figure on an ostrich-horse appeared. Yumi looked up as the shadow grew into her line of vision. It was Zuko. Yumi looked up with a look of surprise on her face. She had heard that he left after Gow's gang had come up to tell Gansu and his family that Senju was dead. This information had made her depressed, as she remembered all the times they were together. Now that Senju is dead, Yumi wanted to protect Lee.

Zuko dismounted from his ostrich-horse and said, 'Let the boy go.' Gow sneered, 'Who do you think goes ordering us around. Identify youself!' Zuko answered, 'My name is not important but I think you are cowardly bullies who abuse your power.' Gow looked stunned but he quickly straightened his face. 'Are you going to take this from a **stranger**?'

One man rushed forward. Zuko quickly hit the man with the hilt of his sword and the man goes flying back. He looked back at Zuko and fled. The next one rushes towards Zuko and Zuko knocks him down in a martial arts move. He quickly stood up and ran off, without looking back. By know, a huge group of villagers were watching at a safe distance. A third man approached Zuko, before having his spear broken by a kick from Zuko's foot and ran off.

Gow was now the only one left and he pulled out his hammers. Zuko also pulls out his twin swords. Gow uses his hammers and hit the ground and sent a boulder but Zuko breaks the rock easily. The next few blows from Gow were stronger, and harder. Yumi could see it was getting more difficult for Zuko to block the boulders. An old man and his wife start cheering, telling Zuko to give a punch to his right. Yumi grew worried as Zuko barely blocks the rocks being shot at him. Soon, Zuko is hit and is sent flying back.

Yumi saw Zuko lying on the ground, his eyes closed. As Gow went for his final strike, Zuko's eyes opened and he sent a ring of fire out. Yumi looked back at Lee and saw his face quickly change from happiness into fear. Zuko moves forward towards Gow and Yumi couldn't help but think that Zuko's fighting style resembles her frightening uncle's. Zuko sent out blasts of fire towards Gow with every swing of his sword. Gow tried to make an earth wall to defend himself but failed and was sent through the air and landed into what was once a stall.

Gow looks up at Zuko. His face showed fear. He looked up and asked, 'Who are you?' 'My name is Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai, heir to the throne.' The old man suddenly says, 'I know you. You are the one who got the burn on your face. You're not a prince, you're an outcast.' Zuko ignores the man and takes the dagger off Gow. He walked towards Lee but Sela stopped him by standing defensively in front of Lee and says 'Don't you walk a step closer.' Zuko just kneeled and offered the dagger to Lee but said 'No, I hate you!' and he walked off with Sela.

Zuko returned to his ostrich-horse and mounts, headed on a path away from the village. The villagers were standing on the streets, looking at Zuko in hatred. But one was not there. Yumi had left the fight early to pack her few possessions into her bag. She quickly wrote a note and placed it on Gansu's door. She quickly got on her deer-horse and follows Zuko, on a road behind him. She was not going to miss out on this opportunity to be reunited with her father and Lu Ten. As she was riding, she had turned away from the Earth village. Not only that, but Keiko had turned away from being Yumi.

When Gansu, Sela and Lee returned home, they found a note on their door. Gansu took it off and read it. After reading it, his face showed sadness. 'What is it?' asked Sela. He gave her the note and took Lee inside the house with him. Sela looked at the note and this is what it said:

_Dear Gansu, Sela and Lee,_

_ I'm afraid I have stayed here too long. I don't want Lee to have the same fate as Senju, it would be too horrible. If I found out it was because of me that caused Senju and the other young men to be sent to war, I would never forgive myself. I'm sorry to not be able to stay any longer._

_ For your kindness, I would like you to have my home and any possessions left within it. Thank you for taking care and helping me all those years that I have lived here._

_ I'm sorry for not being able to goodbye to you face to face but I'm afraid that it will only make it harder. Please do not think this event was caused by you. Thank you for everything._

_ Love Yumi_

Sela felt the tears falling down her face. She didn't quite understand what Yumi meant if it was her fault but she understood what this meant. Yumi was leaving. For the last 3 years, Sela had accepted Yumi into her family as her daughter. She knew this would eventually happen, but she did not expect it to be now. First Senju, now Yumi.


	7. Chapter 7

Keiko led her deer-horse along the dusty path. Ahead was Zuko on his ostrich-horse. From what she could tell, Zuko hadn't noticed her. She watched him for a short while. He sat up tall, like someone brought up in the Royal Family. The Royal Family symbolises wealth and happiness. But his eyes. It showed the hardships within his life and how they affected him. And created the person he is.

She looked down. That had happened to her as well. Raised in the Royal Family but hardships have changed the way we were. Her thoughts drifted from herself to her brother. Her eyes suddenly widened. The rumour that had travelled across the land was that the Prince Zuko and General Iroh alone. _Where is Lu Ten?_ She thought about it. _Hmm…Right know he would be about 21._ Keiko grew worried , She had heard about the failed siege around Ba Sing Se. _ No…he can't be dead. Maybe he escaped with father and is travelling by himself._ She mentally nodded. _That's got to be the reason why. No way Lu Ten would be dead…_

'Oomph,' groaned Keiko. Her thoughts were interrupted when she walked into someone. She looked up and saw an angry Zuko. 'Why are you following me?' he asked. Keiko froze for a second, then replied, 'I was following you because I thought you could lead me to General Iroh. I have to see him.' Zuko's eyebrows furrowed. 'And why must you see him?' he asked. 'That's my business.' she asked.

Zuko could see the determination in the girl's eyes. 'Fine. But you are responsible for your own safety. I'm not going to protect you.' She nodded and pulled out a sword from her bag. She attached it to her back, so it would be easy to get. They remounted and continued in silence.

After 2 hours, Keiko stopped and slipped out of the saddle. She had noticed her deer-horse limping. Zuko stopped as well, and asked what was wrong. 'Her ankle needs to be tended to. You continue ahead, I'll catch up. There's a village ahead, maybe what you're looking for is there.' Keiko opened her pack and took out some bandages. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zuko moving away. She sighed. _He has certainly changed from the Zuko I once knew._ She began bandaging her deer-horse.

Keiko finished bandaging her injured animal and was know testing it. _Hmm... she seems all right._ She suddenly heard a familiar noise. Her head quickly turned to the direction of the sound and saw the village. It was the sound of a fight. She quickly gathered the reins of her deer-horse and ran down the path. A bolt of lightning could be seen from where she was running. She hoped that things were not as bad as she thought.

The abandoned village~~

Zuko heard her. It was definitely Azula. He crashed into the village answering her lingering question, 'Yes I want to fight you.' He turned around at the sound of his name. It was the Avatar. _What will I do?_ He positioned himself to fight both of them._ I need the Avatar, but I want to defeat Azula as well_. His thoughts were lost when he saw a fireball coming towards him. He didn't have enough time to react and was thrown into the air and landed heavily in the ground. The fight begins, shots of blue fireballs, red fireballs and wind move through the air. Zuko was outside, unconscious. Aang suddenly landed in a pile of wood, his leg trapped under a large piece. Azula walked towards him, an evil smile pasted on her face. She set the surrounding wood on fire, watching the fear on Aang's face. He looked at her, seeing her hand preparing to strike. Suddenly Azula's hand was pulled back with water and the wood pinning him down was cut. 'Katara' he exclaimed happily. Azula turned, her attention now on Katara, chased her out the door of the broken house and along the veranda. Katara suddenly made a sharp right, leaving Azula open for a couple of swipes by Sokka and his boomerang. Aang ran out of the house and together they advance onto Azula.

Meanwhile, Iroh stood over his nephew. Zuko had awoken shortly after sensing his uncle's prescence. 'Get up' He helped Zuko up and they saw Katara, Sokka and Aang fighting Azula.

Fireballs were shot out against Aang, Katara and Sokka. Defending themselves with their bending and weapon, they forced Azula back to the opening of an alley. Suddenly, the earth moved from underneath Azula's feet, causing her to fall. The three friends look up to see Toph. 'I thought you guys could use a little help', she said and Katara smiled and replied, 'Thanks'.

Azula was now against three benders and a boomerang user. She was turning and shooting fireballs at them. She saw an alley and quickly turned into it, thinking she would lose them. In her haste, she didn't notice and ran right into Iroh, with Zuko beside him. Now Azula was cornered with Katara, Sokka, Toph, Aang, Iroh and Zuko standing in front of her. 'Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done.' She raised her hands in surrender. 'I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor.' Iroh noticed Azula's eyes shifting from one person to another, finding out the weakest in the group to use as a distraction to escape. His eyes shifted from Toph to Sokka. Suddenly, Azula moved, aiming her fireball at Iroh, himself. Zuko's face changed to a look of shock. Aang, Katara, Toph and Zuko sent their elements towards Azula, but when the smoke cleared, she was gone.

Zuko knelt next to his uncle, seeing a mass of blood on his chest. His face twisted up in anger and frustration. Sensing the others approaching, he turned and yelled, 'Get away from us!' Katara took a couple steps forward, saying 'Zuko, I can help.' Zuko just got mad. He turned around, throwing a long flame yelling, 'LEAVE!' The others than ran off, leaving Zuko alone with his uncle. A large smoke cloud rising towards the sky.

Back on the Path~~

'Ah, you stupid thing!', Keiko exclaimed in frustration. Halfway down her deer-horse collapsed, whining in pain. Seeing the animal in pain made Keiko forget her anger. She unwrapped the bandage and looked at the damage once again. Grabbing a strong stick, she put it against the deer-horses leg and wrapped it. In a calm voice she said, 'I want you to stay here. I'll leave you some water and food but don't move. You'll wreck your leg even more.' Pouring some water into a bowl and placing some oats beside, she set off. This time she saw a huge amount of smoke coming from the village. Her eyes grew wide and she ran full speed towards the burning village.


	8. Chapter 8

Keiko finally reached the smoking village. She looked around for Zuko. She was growing concerned as the smoke was getting thicker.

Keiko looked around and found Zuko kneeling on the ground beside his uncle. She placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him. 'Zuko! Get up! Snap out of it!' Zuko looked dazed but seemed to be out of his sudden shock. 'We need to move him, otherwise he will suffocate in all this smoke.' Zuko nodded and together they half lifted, half dragged the heavy man. They found a small hut on the edge of the village that hadn't been caught in the fire.

'Okay, Zuko I need you to find water and using this spare cloth, make bandages,' she said, pulling out a container and a long piece of cloth. 'Can you do that?' she asked, looking at Zuko. He seemed a bit nervous but said he would look for water. Keiko took out some medicinal herbs to treat the wounds and a small teapot. She found a special herb that when soaked and made into tea, helped that person to recover faster. Finding spare sticks, she quickly put the remainder of her own water into the small teapot and the herbs.

She looked around, making sure no-one could see her and quickly used her firebending to light the fire. Keiko placed the pot over the small fire. She turned to look at the injured man, her father. As she sat there, memories of her childhood flocked through her mind. Keiko had these memories locked up, thinking she would never see her brother or father again. The thought of seeing her father again unlocked her memories and they flowed out, letting a few tears escape. When she heard footsteps, she quickly brought her sleeve to her face and wiped the tears away.

'Here's the water, Yumi' She hesitated before taking the can of water. _That's right, he knows me as the Earth Village girl._ She quickly set the water over another set of sticks and pulled out her firing stones. Before she could make a flame, Zuko already used his firebending. Adding another set of herbs, she said, 'Thanks.' She saw him smile a real smile, reminding her of the cousin she once knew.

'Oh no!' Zuko watched as Yumi suddenly stood up. 'I left my injured deer-horse on the path. Watch the water for me Zuko!' she yelled as she began running out of the village and back on the path. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I forget an injured animal that I left on the side of the road! I really must be becoming an idiot!'_ She let out a sigh of relief when she saw her deer-horse sitting there, searching the path with worried eyes. Seeing her, the deer-horse gave a whinny of relief. 'Come on now. We'll go slowly this time.' Yumi led her deer-horse down the path, thinking:_ I hope Zuko didn't do anything drastic. I mean he knows how to boil water, right?_

Meanwhile~~

Zuko was sitting on the ground wondering about what Yumi said. _What does she mean 'Watch the water for me?'_ He peered in the pot than at the can of water and saw bubbles on the surface. _Hmmm...is that suppose to happen?_ Worriedly, he began to drag his uncle's injured body away from the bubbling water. _Just in case._ Although he had been on the road for so long, he still was unskilled. The times that he had tea were all made by his uncle.

He was so relieved when he heard Yumi tell him to watch her horse while she ran closer to the rattling, bubbling containers. As she ran towards the fire, something about the way she acted reminded him of someone. _But who?_

Soon, Iroh was bandaged and sleeping in the hut. Yumi climbed up the hut and stared at the stars. This was a thing that she did since she was young. She closed her eyes and remembered lying on the grass beside Lu Ten and Iroh. Iroh had said to them with a smile, 'If you look into the stars, sometimes you can see where your family is.' Everyday, she had looked into the stars hoping to find Lu Ten and her father. Although they stars hadn't helped her, she was happy.

Zuko sat in the hut, watching his sleeping uncle. He couldn't help shudder at the thought of how close he could have lost him. He was shocked as he felt a few stray tears fall down his face. But he was happy that he was still alive.


	9. Chapter 9

Zuko watched over his uncle all night and was relieved to see him awake the next morning. 'Uncle, you're okay.' Zuko made a huge sigh of relief. Iroh's eyes drifted around the room and he noticed a young girl making tea in the corner. 'Would you like some tea, sir?' she asked, bringing him a cup of steaming tea. He accepted the cup, saying, 'Thank you. But who are you?' She tensed slightly then relaxed. 'My name is Yumi.' He nodded and took a sip of the tea. His eyes widened in shock. _The tea…it's really good. _'Is something wrong with the tea, sir?' Yumi asked. He just shook his head. 'This is one of the best made teas that I have had tasted. It tastes just like..' he paused, 'mine.' Then he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.

'Uncle, you were unconscious. Azula did this to you. It was a surprise attack.' Iroh massaged his shoulder lightly. 'Somehow I don't find that surprising,' Iroh said sarcastically. As he drank his tea, Zuko said, 'So uncle, I've been thinking, it's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advance Firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say. She's my sister, I should be getting along with her.' He passed the cup back to Yumi and said, 'No. She's crazy and she needs to go down.' As Zuko nodded, Yumi slumped. It wasn't often that she got to hear bad things about her cousin. Or her father speaking in such a blunt and casual way.

Iroh announces, 'It's time to resume your training.' He looks over at Yumi. 'Would you like to learn about Firebending?' She looks at him hesitantly and then nods. _I can learn more firebending this way. _She sat down beside Zuko and placed a cup of tea for everyone. 'Lightning is a pure expression of Firebending. Without aggression, it is not fuelled by rage or emotion like the way the other Firebending is. Some call lightning the 'cold-blooded fire'. It is precise and deadly like Azula. Performing the technique requires peace of mind.'

Zuko said, 'I see. That's why we're drinking tea. To calm the mind.' Iroh sipped some of his tea and smiled, 'Oh yeah, good point.' Then his face becomes more serious and he continues, 'I mean, yes.'

After drinking our tea, they moved outside and he continued to speak. 'There is energy around us. The energy is both yin and yang. Positive energy and Negative energy.' He pointed in two directions to emphasise his point. 'Only a few selected Firebenders can separate these 2 energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance and in that moment, the positive energy and the negative energy come crashing back together. You provide release and guidance, creating lightning.'

Yumi watched in amazement as Iroh moved his body, creating lightning. He then shot a long stream of lightning into the sky. She turned to look at Zuko, his face brightening up at the sight of the lightning.

'I'm ready to try it' announced Zuko. Iroh then said, 'Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it, you are simply its humble guide. Breathe first.' She quickly ran to the other side and began to observe her cousin. She watched as he copied Iroh's technique but when he shot it in the air, it came out as a blast of fire. The force of the blast was so great that it pushed him backwards.

She watched as Zuko tried again and again. It always came out as bursts of fire and Zuko was getting frustrated. 'Why can't I do it? Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face. Like everything always does.' Iroh stood up from beside her and said, 'I was afraid that this would happen. You will never be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you.' Zuko turns to face him and angrily said, '**What** turmoil?'

Yumi couldn't stay to watch the rest. She was eager to try out the lightning. She slid away carefully and climbed away from the village. She closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she brought both hands together before moving into her stance. Yumi moved her arms, feeling the buzz from the energy being created inside her. Then, her eyes snapped open, a burst of blue lightning shot into the sky. As she watched the lightning, she smiled.

She had accomplished lightning.

She quickly ran back, hoping she hadn't been gone too long. The sky was getting dark as grey storm clouds began to gather. Thunder rumbled as the clouds began to head towards them. She finally made it back to where Zuko was practising. But something had happened to cause Zuko to become angry and he ran downhill, towards the brewing storm.

As she watched Zuko run into the storm, Yumi turned to Iroh and asked, 'Is it alright to let him go like that?' She felt a growing concern for him. Iroh sighed. 'He feels like he has to do everything by himself.' He shook his head.

They watched as the storm became larger and more ferocious. It was dangerous to stay outside, so they returned to small hut. As they watched the storm approach them, Yumi asked Iroh a question. A question that had been bothering her for a while now.

'Um…excuse me.' Iroh turned to face the kneeling girl. 'I was wondering about your son, Lu Ten. Is he travelling with you?' She was surprised to see her father's face become saddened. 'No. He died at the battle of Ba Sing Se.'

Yumi's face changed to one of shock.

Her brother who was so strong, so caring and loving was dead?


	10. Chapter 10

She looked out into the storm, before burying her head in her knees. Her tears stained her pants, but she didn't care. Yumi was pretty sure that Iroh was probably was staring at her strangely but that wasn't on her mind.

Yumi couldn't believe it. Why? Why? Why did her brother have to die? She had hopes that she would see him in the future, a family reunion. But what was her family without Lu Ten.

Iroh looked down at the crying girl. He sat beside her, slowly and hesitantly wrapping her in a warm embrace. No matter how he thought about it, it reminded him of his daughter. The daughter that his father so easily killed. But he was relieved that the girl accepted him, allowing him to hold her as he longed to hold his own. A few tears strayed from his own eyes, truly accepting that his entire family was gone. He opened his eyes, looking sadly out to the mountains were. _I can't lose Zuko as well._

Yumi felt comfort in the warmth. She was weary and fell asleep, tears staining her face. The feelings of protection made her feel calm. Iroh gingerly lay her down. His arm was still sore from where Azula attacked him. He looked over the sleeping figure. He reached out and moved away the fringe off her face. He gasped, seeing the scar cutting through her eyelid and her upper cheek. But that wasn't the part that surprised him the most. Her features resembled Kuma's. Kuma, his wife, who had died giving birth to Keiko.

He stumbled back. Then a thought came to him. 'No. It's not possible. She was killed 9 years ago.' But the more he looked at Yumi, the resemblance was too great. He sat by her, tears not able to stay back. His daughter was alive, not dead as he first believed. Iroh placed his hand on her head stroking her hair for the first time in a long while. With his other hand he wiped away his tears.

Not tears of sadness but ones of happiness

On the Mountain~~~~~  
Zuko looked out into the storm. He wished the lightning to strike him but to no avail. The lightning reflected his conflicting emotions. He took a breath of the smoggy air, calming him.

Ever since he was young, he had liked storms. He never truly understood why but the dark clouds seemed lonely like he was. Azula was always causing trouble, taking up most of their mother's attention. And there were times when his mother disappeared all together. The storm would remind him of how he was, always in the shadow of his younger sister.

He sat down on a rock, his clothes soaked. He yelled out in anger. He placed his head in his hands. Always, looked down by, always hidden by Azula's genius. Why was he born this way? Why must he suffer the hardships that no-one else would ever suffer.

Zuko's tears were mingled with the rain. Whatever he couldn't do, Azula surely could do it. Whatever he knew, Azula had mastered long ago. Always the weaker person, even if he was the oldest. He should have been the one that was guiding Azula with new techniques. Not her shaming him with her power.

'WHY?'

At the Hut~~~~~

The yells from the mountain woke Yumi up. Her eyes opened wide and alert, her hand reaching for the dagger hidden within the folds in her pants. But before her hand made it, her head bumped into something. Both of her hands grasped her head. '.'

She looked up to see what she hit. Iroh was sitting, one hand supporting himself, the other rubbing his chin. Yumi's eyes widened. 'Ah. I'm really sorry!' She lowered herself to her knees and grabbed a towel and dampened it. She passed it to Iroh, who then placed it onto his chin. It was then she noticed his sad smile.

'It's been a while Keiko.' Yumi gasped. When did he find out? Did it slip when she spoke? She had decided that even though she longed to return to her father, it was safer for them to not know her true identity. She, who was meant to be dead, was a skilled Firebender outside the reign of the Fire Lord.

But as she looked at her father's face, she always wondered if she had the strength to stop herself from embracing him. And if he would accept her even. She lowered her head to the ground. The tears had returned but not ones of sadness but ones of fear. Will her father reject her?

'I'm sorry. But after what Grandfather did to me Auntie thought it was safer to stay hidden. I understand if you hate me because of it but please don't blame Auntie. She saved me.' By the time she had said this, the memories of the time with Ursa unlocked from a part of her heart. She was the mother she never had. The tears came fast, not even allowing her to have time to try to hold them back.

She lifted her head, the tears blurring her vision. She tensed up, expecting perhaps a beating but she was surprised when he reached out and pulled her towards him. One hand on her head and stroking it he whispered soft words. 'Keiko, you're alive. Don't worry. I do not hate you. I am just glad that you are alive and well.'

He looked up at the ceiling. Although there was no way he could bring Lu Ten back to his arms, he was no longer alone. He had Keiko and he was glad.

'I'm so happy to be back, Father.'


	11. Chapter 11

The plan was to move on and develop their skills. Azula may come at them again and being injured may prove to be even more inconvenient or fatal then Iroh's injury.

They decided to move in a group of three. It would look like a father with his two children. And since Zuko and Iroh were known to be travelling together, having Yumi join made them less suspicious.

They somehow ended up in a hut by a desert. Yumi was surprised that Zuko did not complain at all, considering that he had been spoilt by royalty much longer than she had. They managed to outrun the Fire Nation warriors a slip before. Yumi had to admit, she was impressed by their teamwork and skill. She looked down at the ground. It had been 3 days since she was told that Lu Ten was dead. And that he had been dead for some time now. The tears always threaten to escape but she held them back. _No, not in front of Zuko…_

No matter how hard that she tried to realise that her brother was gone, an image of her brother's smiling face would come up. And she would remember that she would never see that face again. She sighed. The tears had welled up, threatening to fall. It was easier for her to believe that her brother was travelling the world. Alive.

The hut was noisy, full of older men. She grew anxious, uncomfortable with the atmosphere. The men all held various weapons, perhaps bounty hunters. She brought a nervous glance over her two companions. And she was with a hefty bounty.

Iroh then wondered over to a Pai Sho table, leading them to believe that this was one of his friends that would not want to hurt them. She really wondered if that was true. The last fight they had included a 'Colonel Mongke' was a friend but had attacked them. Yumi hoped that it would be okay and followed Zuko to the table. After watching in amazement as the two men set out the tiles onto the table. It showed a beautiful flower shape on the surface of the table. It was unlike any strategy used for Pai Sho she had ever seen.

Suddenly, two men tried to arrest them. But the other man that Iroh had been playing shouted that they had high bounties on their heads. She could see that the sound of a high bounty had alerted the other men in the hut. She nervously grabbed the hilt of her sword before being pulled away by Iroh. As they left, she could hear the sounds of the men fighting each other, hoping to claim the prize.

The other man introduced himself as Jen. He led them to his flower shop. It was beautiful. Yumi had never seen so many flowers in her life before. She didn't even noticed that Jen and Iroh had moved into a room at the back. Yumi looked at every single flower the shop had. It reminded her of the days back at the Palace. Even though the Royal Gardens had many flowers, Jen's shop had more.

Her mind couldn't help but drift to the single day. The day that she was supposed to be killed. It was just after being in the Garden and the scent of the flowers gave the memories the strength to become free. The scene moved through her mind and it wouldn't stop. The game of tag, being pushed by Azula, the meeting about Ba Sing Se. And of course, the wound that caused the scar over her eye and stole away her sight.

This was something that she called her worst nightmare. She remembered that the few days after getting scarred that she could not sleep, for the scene would begin as soon as her weary eyes tried to shut and sleep.

Her legs couldn't hold out any longer and she fell. The sounds and the images were so vivid and strong that it was as if she was in her memory. As the sword cut over her eye, she felt the scar over her eye sting.

But the memory wouldn't let her go, restarting the memory on a replay loop. She felt her body not able to support her fear and anxiety. She was dragged into the ferocity of her memory.

~~~~Zuko

He sat down by the door. He was curious to hear what the men had to say but he couldn't hear a word. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Yumi flittering from one plant to another, looking at its vibrant colour and smelling the different scents. He sighed. Now he won't know what was going on behind the door.

As he sat, watching Yumi, he couldn't help think that her actions were similar to someone from his past. It has been a question of her identity. Iroh didn't seemed to be bothered by her presence. Rather, he was more delighted about her presence. Perhaps it reminded him of the daughter he had lost.

He then noticed a rapid movement. Yumi had collapsed and had fallen on her knees. Her hands held her head as if it hurt and her eyes were squeezed tight. He quickly moved to her side, wondering what had happened.

He grew even more concerned when tears began to move down her face. There was no sign that it was going to stop. He grabbed her shoulder and began shaking her. He called out her name, hoping that she would wake up.

He heard the door to the room behind him open and the sound of footsteps coming closer towards them. Suddenly, Yumi's body collapsed into Zuko. Her breathing was shallow and her pulse was weak. Sweat was gleaming of her forehead.

Zuko noticed that his uncle's face was worried. He knew that he was worried for Yumi as he cared for most children. But also, the two bounty hunters that were after them were approaching the shop. They had to escape with Yumi safely.

Zuko lifted Yumi carefully and placed her gently into a flower pot. A light blanket was placed over her shivering body and a ornate flower piece was placed over the opening of the jar. Zuko quickly jumped into a flowerpot of his own and watched as the light became smaller and smaller before becoming pitch black.

He was slightly alarmed when he felt one of the younger White Lotus members pull the wagon out and away from the flower shop. They were safe, for now. But Yumi was still unconscious and they were still fugitives.

The man stopped at the edge of the desert and let Iroh and Zuko out. As Iroh spoke with the man and received the documents, Zuko took Yumi out. She had stopped sweating but her body was cold and her breathing was still shallow. He put her sleeping figure on his back and got Iroh to help put the blanket on her.

'Let's hope that she gets well soon.' Zuko nodded and noticed the sad look in his eyes. He didn't know the relationship between Yumi and his uncle but he could see that she was important to him. He too, knew that she was important to him.

As they began to walk to the Full Moon Bay to get on a ferry, Zuko realises the attachment that he has for Yumi. It wasn't one of love, but she seemed like the little sister that he wanted Azula to be.

* * *

**Hey everyone!**

**It's Christmas! I'm going overseas for holiday but I'm not allowed to bring my computer along TT^TT. So I won't be updating till next year.**

**I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**

**See you in 2011**

**~yuki973**


	12. Chapter 12

Her head hurt. Those memories always shook her heart. The darkness seemed to be a place of sanctuary, where she could hear nothing, see nothing and feel nothing. The pain from being separated with her aunt was gone. The fear she felt when she was small was gone. Her love for Senju , Zuko and her father …would that truly be gone as well?

The happy memories drifted in, brightening the world of darkness. The feeling when she had Senju's arms around her, the happiness she felt when she recognised Zuko and the love that was returned to her from her father.

No, she couldn't give up now.

She had just met her father again and she wanted Zuko to become a better person than the one she had heard in the stories. She wanted to see Senju one last time…

But Senju was gone, lost from the world and out of her reach. She will never see him again. And it was because of the war. The war that had been continued by her uncle, Ozai.

It was his fault that she would never see him again. She would stop him. Stop the war and avoid other people from feeling the pain that still struck her heart. She would avenge him and help stop this war. A war of selfish of wants and desires for power.

* * *

Yumi could feel the steady movement underneath her. It seemed that her strong feelings of wanting to stop the war allowed her to be released from her prison of painful memories and feelings. Her eyes open slightly and she could see the greyness of rocks.

Zuko noticed that she had stirred and stopped walking. He turned to look at her and saw her sad, tired eyes. Weariness was evident on her face and he recognised that she has had a hard life as well.

'Uncle! She's awake!' Iroh stopped walking. He turned back to see Zuko lowering the girl back onto the ground. Her footing was still shaky, but she had been returned to the world. He had been anxious the whole time. Seeing her in that state made him feel guilty. He could have made sure that from her young age, that she would have a good future. Iroh placed a hand on her head and patted gently. She seemed to enjoy this movement.

Yumi leaned onto Zuko's shoulder for support. She faced him, tired but able. 'Thank you.' It came out as a whisper but her eyes delivered her message strongly. Zuko, feeling a bit annoyed, nodded and helped her walk until she was steady.

'We're going to Ba Sing Se. The White Lotus has given me fake passports to allow us to enter there. Zuko will be Lee and I will be Mushi. You will be remain as Yumi as you are not any threat to any nation.' Yumi nodded and sighed in relief. If she had to take on another alias, something might slip and she would be in a lot of trouble. Iroh continued, 'We will be hiding there from the Fire Nation and Ba Sing Se won't notice any extra refugees.'

The port for the ships heading to Ba Sing Se was close, about an hour's walk. Yumi felt slightly sick but she kept going.

They finally arrive at the port and Yumi was surprised by the number of people waiting to go on a ferry to Ba Sing Se. Her eyes skim over each person and each face had etched on weariness, nervousness and signs of hardships. She felt saddened by the faces of the people, they had suffered a lot, like she had. But a smile crept up to her face. She could see that there was also hope.

Iroh led them to the ticket booth and received 3 tickets. They headed for the boat when Zuko suddenly glanced over his shoulder and spotted the Avatar. Iroh had to hold him back to try to save their cover when Zuko finally realised that there were nine Avatars in the port and each one looked slightly different to the Avatar he knew and wished to capture. He slowly followed Yumi and Iroh up to the ferry, glancing over his shoulder every so often to check if the real Avatar showed up.

Yumi leaned on the edge of the boat and closed her tired eyes. Her body felt heavy and the movement of the boat didn't help her nausea. She hoped it would be over soon. Yumi was thankful that sleep washed over her and she rested throughout the entire boat trip.

But Zuko was awake and tense. Seeing the Avatar caused adrenaline to run through his body and he couldn't sit still. He looked down at the food that everyone had been served. He looked at it with disgust. The item in the bowl barely resembled food, and it smelt even worse.

Zuko threw the food overboard but he was still hungry. He looked disgusted as he watched his uncle try to eat it. A movement caught his eye and he looked away from Iroh. A young man with a piece of straw between his teeth walked up to him. 'The name's Jet.'

Zuko nodded in return. 'The food here shouldn't be called food at don't you help us steal some food from the captain. They have a feast up there. What do you say?'

Zuko looked back at his Uncle and Yumi, wondering if he should. He didn't want the situation to get worse. Until he heard his stomach growl.

He turned to Jet and smiled.

_'I'm in.'_


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey! yuki here!**

**Suffered a writer's block but have thought of an idea to return life to this story. Sorry but this chapter's a bit short.**

**~yuki973**

* * *

Yumi's eyes opened briefly. Then she closed her eyes again. Was it possible that she was still dreaming?

Her eyes opened again and this time she rubbed her eyes to make sure what she was seeing was true. Zuko and 2 other people had just returned to the deck and they were carrying three large bags. She couldn't really imagine Zuko as a thief but as they lowered the bag, the top opened and she saw good quality food. She then looked over at Iroh's bowl and she felt her stomach tighten. It looked like food that would normally be given to a fish-pig.

The threesome began giving out and sharing the food with the others on the boat. They all seemed relieved to see edible food. Iroh was delighted and quickly threw his other bowl overboard. Zuko and his 3 new friends sit with them, eating the new food. Yumi was glad to feel her strength returning.

Iroh tried to break the silence. 'Smellerbee is an unusual name for a young man.' Yumi quickly kicked him in the knee before Smellerbee says 'Maybe it's because I'm not a man. I'm a girl.' She stood up and walked away quickly. Long Shot also stoods up and followed her. Yumi shook her head as Iroh tried to apologise for his mistake.

'From what I heard, people in Ba Sing Se eat like this every day. I can't wait to sit my eyes on that giant wall.' Jet said with a smile. Iroh nodded. 'It is indeed a beautiful sight.' Curious, Jet asked, 'So, you've been there before?' Yumi saw Iroh's eyes sadden. The place that Iroh lost his reputation. And the place of Lu Ten's death. 'Once. When I was a … different man.' Jet nodded understanding. 'I've done some things I'm not proud of. But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se. For a new beginning. A second chance.'

'I too believe that people have a second chance in life. I believe that people can change themselves in life if they want to.'

* * *

Yumi woke up and found the sun rising. It had been a long night but she felt well and able to walk. She looked over the edge of the boat and saw the mixtures of colour blend together, along with the soft mist.

At the head of the boat, she saw Zuko, standing alone. She grabbed her sword and strapped it to her back and put the blanket that she had been using on the still sleeping Iroh. She walked over to him and leaned on the edge.

She saw his hard, serious face. 'You okay?' He nodded. 'Just a lot to think about.' The sound of footsteps reached her ears. She looked back and saw Jet. 'You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were.' Yumi felt a little worried and saw Zuko tense up. Yumi leaned so that her bangs definitely hid the scar over her eye. She then saw that the words were directed to Zuko and excused herself to leave.

She just hoped that the cover that they just got for themselves was not just blown.

She wandered back, seeing her father now awake, looking over at the people on the boat. Yumi sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

'Zuko. What happened to his face? He didn't have a scar like that when I last saw him.' Iroh sighed and she saw that his face became troubled. 'Your uncle did that to him because he was protecting the people of the Fire Nation. War is not a fair ground to walk on.' She felt a bit horrified, then remembered that her own grandfather ruined her face.

Yumi shivered as she could almost feel the hot metal of the sword move down her face. She shook her head, trying to rid the feeling and tried changing the subject. But she was beaten.

'There is a prophecy and I think it may be about you.' Yumi looked up on interest. 'Prophecy says that within the Royal Family within the Fire Nation, balance between good and evil will return between a battle of the 2 female heirs.' He looked down at Yumi. 'In the past, there were never 2 girls that were lined up for the throne. It was always a boy and a girl or 2 boys. You and Azula are the first set of girls in the family. I think that your uncle was relieved when he had heard about your death, knowing that Azula would be safe.'

Yumi's eyes widened. It was the first time she had heard about this prophecy. But in her heart, she felt that she already knew about this. It came to her in her dreams as well. She never understood the dream. It was always an older version of her and another person. They were duelling in an Agni Kai. There was always a symbol. The yin and yang symbol on the floor they were standing. She never saw who won the battle, always waking up before seeing the end.

So this was her future. To restore balance between good and evil within the family. She assumed that Azula was evil, considering that she nearly killed father and Zuko, so did that mean she was the good?


End file.
